Bullz-Eye Blog » Veephttp://blog.bullz-eye.com
men's lifestyle blog, blog for guysFri, 09 Dec 2016 19:32:13 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.10Blu Tuesday: The Revenant, Veep and Silicon Valleyhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2016/04/19/blu-tuesday-the-revenant-veep-and-silicon-valley/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2016/04/19/blu-tuesday-the-revenant-veep-and-silicon-valley/#commentsTue, 19 Apr 2016 12:30:28 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=54196Every Tuesday, I review the newest Blu-ray releases and let you know whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping, along with a breakdown of the included extras. If you see something you like, click on the cover art to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon, and be sure to share each week’s column on Facebook and Twitter with your friends.

“The Revenant”

WHAT: During a hunting expedition in the early 1800s, fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) miraculously survives a bear mauling and is left for dead by members of his group. When one of the men responsible (Tom Hardy) kills Hugh’s half-Native American son after he protests about leaving his father to die, Hugh conjures up the strength to navigate the rough terrain and weather in order to seek vengeance.

WHY: Alejandro González Iñárritu’s follow-up to “Birdman” is an unflinchingly brutal tale of survival and revenge that completely immerses you in the rugged conditions of early frontier life. Iñárritu does his best Terrence Malick impression with this gorgeous drama filmed largely in the Canadian wilderness, reteaming with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki to deliver more of the same great visuals and signature tracking shots, which amplify the realism of the never-ending suffering that Leonardo DiCaprio’s character endures throughout the story. The much talked about grizzly bear mauling may be one of the most intense sequences ever captured on film, but it’s only a small piece of the actor’s raw and physically demanding performance. Though Tom Hardy is absolutely electric as the villain, DiCaprio has the tougher role, and he makes you feel every bit of blood-curdling agony. “The Revenant” is the classic battle of man vs. nature at its cruelest, and save for some pacing issues (at 156 minutes, it’s way too long), it doesn’t disappoint.

EXTRAS: There’s a 44-minute documentary on making the movie and the social responsibilities of portraying Native American people and their culture in film.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

“Veep: The Complete Fourth Season”

WHAT: Following her unexpected promotion to the Oval Office, former Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) must juggle her new responsibilities as POTUS with managing her campaign for re-election, including finding the perfect running mate.

WHY: Julia Louis-Dreyfus has dominated her category at the Emmys for the last four years with her performance as Selina Meyer on “Veep,” and for very good reason. Though the actress has been a perennial nominee since “Seinfeld” (and even won a couple times before), the HBO comedy is perhaps the crowning achievement of her career. “Veep” is hands-down the funniest show on TV, boasting razor-sharp writing that skewers the political process, like in this season’s hilarious “B/ill” and “Election Night”; an excellent supporting cast made even better by guest star Hugh Laurie; and a penchant for audacious plot twists – for instance, the decision to make Selina president, rendering the show’s title irrelevant in the process. Although the Season Four cliffhanger casts uncertainty on just how long she’ll hold that position, it’s a clever way of shaking up the status quo and providing an even bigger stage for Selina and her team’s merry-go-round of failure and humiliation. If you think the real-life presidential election is a joke, you haven’t seen anything yet.

EXTRAS: There are some deleted scenes, but that’s the extent of the bonus material.

FINAL VERDICT: BUY

“Silicon Valley: The Complete Second Season”

WHAT: When Hooli CEO Gavin Belson (Matt Ross) sues Pied Piper for intellectual property theft in a desperate attempt to acquire the company, and Raviga Capital withdraws its funding as a result, Richard (Thomas Middleditch) begins the search for a new investor.

WHY: “Silicon Valley” relies on such a frustrating amount of manufactured conflict to drive the story each season that it would be painful to watch if the show wasn’t so funny. But it is funny – really funny, in fact – thanks to creator Mike Judge’s absurdist humor and the vastly underrated ensemble cast. Though everyone plays their role to perfection, Thomas Middleditch, Martin Starr and Kumail Nanjiani are the real standouts as the main trio behind Pied Piper’s success. Guest star Chris Diamantopoulos also delivers some good work as a douchebag billionaire modeled after Mark Cuban, while Josh Brener’s Big Head is given a bigger part to play. The attempt to replicate the whiteboard hilarity of last year’s season finale (“Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency”) isn’t quite as memorable, but the episode in question (“Homicide,” in which Starr and Nanjiani’s feuding programmers debate the morality of letting an arrogant stuntman kill himself) is so well written that it demonstrates how great “Silicon Valley” can be when it’s firing on all cylinders.

EXTRAS: There are six audio commentaries featuring various cast and crew, a featurette on the art and science behind the show, and a collection of deleted scenes.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2016/04/19/blu-tuesday-the-revenant-veep-and-silicon-valley/feed/0Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns in “VEEP”http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/04/09/julia-louis-dreyfous-veep/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/04/09/julia-louis-dreyfous-veep/#commentsWed, 09 Apr 2014 15:55:03 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=35772We love this photo of Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the cover of Rolling Stone promoting the new season of “VEEP” on HBO. She’s always looked hot and has been one of the funniest women on television for years. “VEEP” made our list last year of the best shows on television, so we’re looking forward to another great season.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/04/09/julia-louis-dreyfous-veep/feed/0Blu Tuesday: The Wolf of Wall Street, Veep and The Great Beautyhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/03/25/blu-tuesday-the-wolf-of-wall-street-veep-and-the-great-beauty/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2014/03/25/blu-tuesday-the-wolf-of-wall-street-veep-and-the-great-beauty/#commentsTue, 25 Mar 2014 11:08:27 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=35306Every Tuesday, I review the newest Blu-ray releases and let you know whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping, along with a breakdown of the included extras. If you see something you like, click on the cover art to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon, and be sure to share each week’s column on Facebook and Twitter with your friends.

“The Wolf of Wall Street”

WHAT: After losing his job on Wall Street following the events of Black Monday, go-getter Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) opens up his own firm selling penny stocks to the wealthy, turning Jordan and his closest pals (including Jonah Hill) into millionaires overnight. Living the high life with his gorgeous new wife (Margot Robbie), Jordan thinks he’s invincible – that is, until he catches wind that the FBI has launched an investigation into the firm for stock market manipulation and other related crimes.

WHY: It’s been a while since Martin Scorsese’s last truly great film, but the director has rebounded in style with “The Wolf of Wall Street,” highlighted by Terrence Winter’s hilarious script and Leonard DiCaprio’s brilliant turn as Jordan Belfort. You’ve never seen the actor quite like this before, and he’s in top form as the notorious stockbroker, delivering what is arguably his best performance with Scorsese yet. The rest of the cast is great as well, especially Jonah Hill in another award-worthy turn, up-and-comer Margot Robbie and Matthew McConaughey in a short but memorable cameo. Loud, flashy and totally obscene, the movie is like a private tour through Belfort’s excessive, hard-partying lifestyle, including easily one of the greatest sequences of the year. (Hint: it involves a highly potent strain of Quaaludes.) Though it’s a little too long for its own good, the characters are so magnetic and the dialogue so fast and funny that “The Wolf of Wall Street” is hard not to enjoy. It’s Scorsese’s best film in years, and one that will only get better with time.

EXTRAS: Regrettably, there’s only one special feature in the form of “The Wolf Pack,” a behind-the-scenes look at bringing Jordan Belfort’s life to the big screen with interviews from Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and others

FINAL VERDICT: BUY

“Veep: The Complete Second Season”

WHAT: U.S. Vice President Selina Myers (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her staff navigate the murky waters of Washington, D.C. as she deals with a presidential scandal, crooked congressmen, a government shutdown and more

WHY: The first season of “Veep” showed immense promise, but it was clear that it still had some growing to do behind the scenes, and that growth is evident in the show’s second year. Granted, the situations that Selina and her staff find themselves in are still incredibly ridiculous (and if even remotely close to what actually happens at the White House, a little frightening), but it feels like there’s much more at stake this time around. The ensemble cast has also had more time to gel, and they’re even funnier than before as a result. Every actor plays their part perfectly – from Anna Chlumsky’s loyal chief of staff, to Matt Walsh’s blockhead publicist, to Timothy Simmons’ oddball White House liaison – and you needn’t look any further than Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Emmy speech for evidence of that. The addition of Gary Cole and Kevin Dunn to the cast was also a shrewd move on the part of Armando Iannucci, but the show lives and dies by Louis-Dreyfus’s hilarious performance as the so-called Veep. She’s one of the funniest women in show business, and with the exception of Elaine Benes, this will likely go down as the best role of her career.

EXTRAS: In addition to four audio commentary tracks featuring members of the cast and crew (including creator Armando Iannucci and star Julia Louis-Dreyfus), there are deleted and alternate scenes for each episode.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

“The Great Beauty”

WHAT: For decades, journalist Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo) has served as Rome’s self-described king of high society, gallivanting through an endless series of lavish nightclubs and parties with his equally pretentious friends. But on his 65th birthday, Jep begins to look back on his superficial life against the beautiful backdrop of the Eternal City.

WHY: “The Great Beauty” may have won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but there were far better movies released last year. Felliniesque in its self-indulgence and general lack of focus, the film is unable to maintain the high-energy pace of the opening dance party, ultimately succumbing to its sluggish, 142-minute runtime. The root of the problem is director Paolo Sorrentino and co-writer Umberto Contarello’s script, which never seems sure what it wants to say. Characters and subplots come and go with little explanation, including a storyline involving Jep’s childhood love that’s brought up early on and never mentioned again until the very end. Toni Servillo delivers a solid performance in the lead role, but his character is too misanthropic for the audience to care what happens to him, contradicting his supposed reformation every chance he gets. If there’s any reason to invest the two-plus hours watching “The Great Beauty,” it’s for cinematographer Luca Bigazzi’s gorgeous visuals, which capture the spirit and splendor of Rome in such a manner that it comes as a close to experiencing the real thing that some people will ever get.

When we published our first TV Power Rankings in 2005 listing the best shows on television, the revolution in TV viewing habits was well underway with cable shows like “The Sopranos” raising the bar for TV dramas. Meanwhile, DVDs and on-demand viewing started to change the way we watched our favorite programs and discovered new ones. Since then, the changes have only accelerated, and now many teenagers and people of all ages are addicted to streaming TV, watching everything by their own schedules. Many have even “cut the cord” and eliminated their cable TV subscriptions altogether. Water-cooler discussions about “must-see TV” have given way to shows aimed at niche audiences.

With these developments, the quality of the shows has improved dramatically. That may not be true for sitcoms and most of the stuff on network TV, but many have called this the new “golden era of television,” as the cable networks in particular have given talented writers and directors the freedom to create masterpieces like “The Wire” and “Breaking Bad.” Now with Netflix triumphantly entering the fray with the excellent “House of Cards,” the bar keeps getting raised even higher. I watch fewer movies these days as the quality rarely matches that of the best TV shows, which also have the advantage of developing characters over a much longer time period.

“Breaking Bad” has been one of our favorites for years, and it tops our list again as it completes its final season. When it’s all said and done, it will be part of every conversation of the best TV shows ever. Our list is dominated by cable TV dramas and we’ve left off reality shows. Some are entertaining, but none match the quality of the programs on our list.

We’ve kept spoilers to a minimum, but you might want to avoid some of the write-ups if you want to avoid learning about plot developments.

1. Breaking Bad

Expectations for the fifth season of Vince Gilligan’s “Breaking Bad” would’ve been running high anyway, given that Season 4 concluded with Walter White (Bryan Cranston) bringing an explosive end to Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) while also revealing just how far he was willing to sink to get things his way. It doesn’t get much lower than poisoning a child to trick your former partner into working for you again, but the knowledge that it truly was the beginning of the end (i.e. the final season) really amped up the adrenaline. With posters for Season 5 showing Walt surrounded by stacks of cash and emblazoned with the tagline “Hail to the King,” the question at hand was whether or not Mr. White would be able to keep his ego in check successfully enough to take over Gus’s meth empire. The answer: not entirely. Although Mike (Jonathan Banks) agreed to join the operation more out of an attempt to help keep Jesse (Aaron Paul) safe, he quickly grew frustrated and tried to bail out, only to end up in a terminal tussle with Walt. Meanwhile, the domestic situation in the White house has reached all new levels of tension, thanks to a power struggle of sorts between Walt and Skyler (Anna Gunn). As the first half of Season 5 wrapped up, however, the biggest reveal of all took place, with Walt’s DEA-agent brother-in-law, Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), finally discovering that he’s the infamous Heisenberg. This show has yet to disappoint, and there’s no reason to think it’s going to start now. – Will Harris. Check out our “Breaking Bad” blog here and our Fan Hub page here.

2. Homeland

I’ve had my share of “binge TV” watching with all the new platforms at our disposal, and so I wasn’t surprised when I blew through the first season and a half of “Homeland” over a long weekend. I’d heard all the buzz but had missed out on Season 1, but like most viewers, I was hooked after the first episode. The power of the cliffhanger at the end of the first season was blunted a bit, however, as I quickly hit the button to start the first episode of Season 2. When you power your way through a series like this, sometimes the impact of a single episode isn’t felt as deeply, as you quickly move on to the resolution. On the other hand, immersing yourself in a show over a short period of time also has its rewards. With Season 2, we’re left with another mind-blowing finale after more twists and turns for Carrie’s unlikely relationship with Brodie. Some have argued that the events have gotten too unbelievable, but given the topic of terrorism and the CIA, little seems too far-fetched these days. With Carrie, Claire Danes has created a character that we’ll remember for a long time, and I suspect this show will be near the top of our list for years to come.

3. The Walking Dead

Fans of Robert Kirkman’s comic book series have been patiently awaiting the arrival of The Governor ever since it was announced that AMC was adapting “The Walking Dead” for TV, and if you were unfamiliar with the source material prior to Season Three, then you probably know by now why it was such a big deal. Though the new season has been plagued by many of the same problems as previous years (namely, dragging out subplots longer than necessary), the addition of David Morrissey as The Governor has made for some great television. And while you can’t say the same about Rick and Andrea’s respective character arcs, others have stepped up in their place, including Norman Reedus as fan favorite Daryl and Chandler Riggs as the rapidly maturing Carl. The zombie quota has also been increased exponentially, which is never a bad thing, and now that Danai Gurira has joined the cast as sword-carrying Michonne, the zombie kills have become more inventive by the week. It hasn’t quite lived up to its excellent debut season, but “The Walking Dead” is still one of the best things on TV. – Jason Zingale

4. Game of Thrones

Aaron Sorkin’s “The Newsroom” may have been HBO’s best freshman series of last year, but “Game of Thrones” is still king of the premium channel. There’s nothing else quite like it on television, and though Season Two wasn’t as good as its debut season on a purely episode-to-episode basis, the payoff was arguably better, showing the full complexity and richness of the universe that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss inherited from George R.R. Martin. The third season expanded that scope even further, with several new characters quickly making their mark, and old ones (like Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Jamie Lannister) continuing to evolve within that moral gray area where “Game of Thrones” thrives. It also featured some of the most shocking story developments to date, perhaps none more so than Episode 9’s infamous Red Wedding, which made Ned Stark’s beheading look like child’s play in comparison and will likely go down as one of the biggest television events of the year. The audience reaction to that episode is very telling of the show’s pop cultural footprint, and when the writing and acting is this good, it’s no surprise why its popularity continues to grow. – JZ. Check out our “Games of Thrones” blog here.

5. The Newsroom

Along with “Girls,” this HBO drama probably received more negative criticism and mockery that any other show on our list. Anything produced by Aaron Sorkin will bring out plenty of haters given the political topics he often chooses, but many journalists weren’t too happy to have Sorkin shine a critical light on their industry. But we all know that cable news sucks with its emphasis on ratings and manufactured controversy, so Sorkin had a target worthy of his scorn. Anyone who is tired of the dumbing down of debate and those who make money exploiting the divisions in our country in the name of delivering the “news” will love the tone of “The Newsroom.” Yes, it’s preachy at times and many of the characters are oh so earnest, but you’ll find yourself rooting for them. Sorkin has created another set of fascinating but flawed characters, with Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) as the perfect vehicle to shake up the cable news business after his epic rant that goes viral, and MacKenzie McHale (Emily Mortimer) as his ex-girlfriend and producer who pushes him to take a stand. The romantic tension between them is very intense and it seems Sorkin will milk that for all its worth. The lovely Olivia Munn also shows she has some serious acting chops as the brilliant but socially awkward Sloan Sabbith.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/09/03/bullz-eyes-2013-tv-power-rankings/feed/3Blu Tuesday: Political Editionhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/03/26/blu-tuesday-political-edition/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/03/26/blu-tuesday-political-edition/#commentsTue, 26 Mar 2013 11:30:48 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=25283The hits keep on coming this week with several more high-profile releases, but you better enjoy it now, because the next few weeks don’t look nearly as promising. In fact, there are so few quality Blu-rays hitting stores in late March/early April that I’ll either be skipping my column during those weeks, or I’ll combine them into one post. With that said, there’s plenty worth being excited about today, with such a heavy emphasis on politically-themed films and TV series that you’d almost think it was November again.

“Lincoln”

Steven Spielberg has been trying to make a movie about Abraham Lincoln for so long that it seemed like it might never happen. But after years stuck in development, his passion project finally got made, albeit with a different actor in the title role. Though Daniel Day-Lewis is certainly no slouch, the prospect of Liam Neeson reteaming with his “Schindler’s List” director was a lot more exciting. Nevertheless, Day-Lewis proves himself a more than adequate replacement as the 16th U.S. President, commanding the screen with a vigor that combats the film’s languid pace. His Lincoln is stubborn and stoic, but also witty when the mood permits, and though he was the only cast member to win an Oscar for his performance, the acting is top-notch all around, including fellow nominees Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, and James Spader as a slimy lobbyist. While the more bureaucratic scenes drag on for too long, they’re a big part of what “Lincoln” is all about and provide some of the film’s best moments. The movie does get a little too caught up in the intricacies of the political process at times, but it’s an engaging behind the scenes look at one of the country’s most historic moments.

Blu-ray Highlight: A review copy didn’t arrive in time, but some quick research shows that there are two versions of the Blu-ray available: a barebones two-disc edition with a pair of brief featurettes and a four-disc edition with an additional 65 minutes of bonus material. If you’re a history buff, or you just really like behind-the-scenes extras, go with the latter set. Otherwise, the two-disc version should suffice.

“Killing Them Softly”

Unlike his polarizing 2007 Western, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” Andrew Dominik’s “Killing Them Softly” is much more accessible, despite the fact that it’s unlike your typical gangster movie. Though there’s a certain familiarity to the story, and it features the kind of violence and brutality that we’ve come to expect from the genre, the film is mostly comprised of lengthy, dialogue-heavy scenes that are almost Tarantino-esque in nature. They occasionally don’t go anywhere, and some drag on a longer than necessary, but the dialogue is so sharply written and the characters so richly imagined that it’s easy to be sucked into the seedy criminal underworld that Dominik has created. The movie can be a tad too political at times with its allegorical comparisons between mobsters and corporate America, but the film is just as enjoyable without all the commentary thanks to its fantastic ensemble cast. Of course, in making it feel like less of a gangster movie, “Killing Them Softly” actually feels oddly more genuine as a result. “Jackie Brown” is still the best when it comes to talky crime thrillers, but Dominik’s latest film at least deserves to be part of the discussion.

Blu-ray Highlight: Unfortunately, there aren’t many options in the special features department except for a small batch of deleted scenes and an all-too-brief making-of featurette. The actors all have nice things to say about director Andrew Dominik, but an audio commentary with Dominik or some of the cast would have been appreciated.

“Veep: The Complete First Season”

Like peanut butter and jelly, there’s something irresistible about the combination of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and TV. From “Saturday Night Live,” to “Seinfeld,” to “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” the actress has been making people laugh for the better part of the last three decades, and if the first season of the HBO comedy “Veep” proves anything, it’s that she’s still one of the funniest women in the business. Created by Armando Iannucci (“The Thick of It,” “In the Loop”), “Veep” is a lot more absurd than the biting political satire of his previous work, but it’s a consistently funny look at one of the strangest jobs in U.S. politics: Vice President, a surprisingly powerless position considering it’s only a heartbeat away from becoming the most powerful person in the country. Though Iannucci spends plenty of time exploring that concept in the eight-episode first season, he uses that platform as a way of lampooning the inner workings of the U.S. government as a whole as well. The jokes don’t always land, and the series gets increasingly more ridiculous by the episode, but with Louis-Dreyfus’ Emmy-winning performance to fall back on, “Veep” is the best place to find laughs on HBO until “Curb Your Enthusiasm” returns.

Blu-ray Highlight: It looks like HBO is finally starting to step up its game in the special features department. In addition to cast and crew audio commentaries on every episode (12 in total, with some episodes boasting multiple tracks), “The Making of Veep” is an enjoyable behind-the-scenes look at the series, covering topics like the creative process, the ensemble cast and replicating the Vice President’s office.